Manipulated by Fear

Manipulated by Fear

The events of December 14, 2012 that led to the murder of 26 people, mostly children, will fertilize the social and political landscape with fear. Doubtless the murders will lead to additional discussion of gun laws, school safety measures, and parental responsibility. I have long asserted that unrighteousness produces tyranny in a society. Pastors and church leaders must speak boldly and carefully about the real danger the society faces when the seed of fear begins to sprout into political tyranny. Guns, school safety measures, and parental responsibility cannot treat unrighteousness in people. What happened on December 14 was the result of sin and its dementing effect on a person’s soul.
Tyranny grows when fear begins to manipulate a society, to heighten its sense of panic, to make it untrusting and unfriendly. We must move wisely here. The 2nd amendment was designed to protect the people from the government. No enemy is worse than a malevolent government. The crimes that occurred on December 14 beg for a comforting answer. I fear only the results of enhanced fear that drives people to call on the government they think will make them safe from unrighteousness of others. Government cannot cause righteousness in people.
If ever Christian people should minister the hope of the Gospel in the face of fear, it is now. The message of Christ and his love reveals the sour truth that we all possess the root of hate that grew into the full sized massacre those children and teachers experienced. Christ’s love shatters fear’s manipulation by removing its ultimate threat of death. This event should not produce fear in the believer but determination to apply the only real solution against these events in the future. Fear will lead many to call on the government to enact new, oppressive and overreaching laws. Christians can testify to the truth of Christ and liberate people.
Only one fear can take residence within the believer. The fear of God jealously refuses to share the heart of a believer with fears of death. Manipulative fear produces enemies while fear of God produces peace with others and God. In the social and political melee about to erupt, weight the consequences of acting in fear. Trust the Lord.